Month: March 2020

“Exercise improves your overall fitness, which can help boost your immune system — the body’s defense against infections.”It can also help improve cognitive function and helps lower the risk of death from all causes” It also lowers risks associated with depression and anxiety 

HOW MUCH?

For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

At least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread this exercise throughout the week. Examples include running, walking or swimming. Even small amounts of physical activity are helpful, and accumulated activity throughout the day adds up to provide health benefits. Strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. Examples include lifting free weights, using weight machines or doing body-weight training 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389

Wait.. HOW HARD are we talking now?

Take 220-your age. Then take 60-85% of that number and that’s about how hard you should be working in your cardio training. About a 7-8 on a scale of 1-10 or a talk but not sing level means you are really working. With weights you should lift as much weight for as many reps as it takes so the last 2-3 reps are very difficult to complete. This is where the change happens and your fitness level makes changes that you notice read more readily. That said any movement is generally better than no movement. If you are like me, on some days that’s unlikely to happen unless someone is there making sure I go that hard.

These are general guidelines. Please check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. Listen to your body. For more customized recommendations book a personal consultation or training session. 

BALLS TO THE WALL is a term used by pilots. When accelerating quickly, the throttle is pushed all the way to the panel and the throttle lever (ball) actually touches the panel (wall). Hence, balls to the wall. This is where we are. Less than 3 weeks until the Jews historically made their Exodus from Egypt. This is the time of year we are usually stocking our kitchens or making travel plans. A time when Spring cleaning has sprung and we know shortly after the Passover/Easter/ Spring Break hump we will find ourselves careening toward the end of school. Well, that’s what its been like at my house…except this year, like everyone else, I’m planning, and some mornings, tossing all those plans to the wind.  This is the time to do your final push in sticking to or establishing a fitness routine.

If you have been digging your heels in since Winter Break you were probably well established in your fitness routine and it was probably pretty doubtful the spring holiday season would derail your progress. However, if you are more of a couch surfer you probably think most of your exercise will come from the tidying you will be doing around the house. 

While such activities as moving the canned goods around and plotting the kids zoom schedule and organizing the pantry or cleaning the cupboards are indeed movement, and of course contribute to daily activity, they are hardly considered joyful movement by many of us. When it comes to establishing a fit lifestyle its JOYFUL movement we are after. That is part of self-care. 

If psychobabble terms like self-care seem waaay too self-indulgent, consider it like brushing your teeth and combing your hair. They are necessary maintenance which make you feel fully human, best performed on the daily, and contribute to your wellbeing and longevity. They contribute to your body’s aesthetic as well as its function- to help you survive. 

Also the more regularly I tend to the maintenence of my teeth for instance, the fewer trips I take to the dental hygenist and fewer problems, even sometimes brushing feels like a chore. Herein lies the rub. if we stick to it, it gets easier and if we neglect it, it starts to scream at us there’s a problem, and then it really, really, isn’t fun.

While we are adding the additional spring tidying and sorting to our to-do lists, I urge you: Don’t neglect the JOY in your movement and don’t mistake business for fitness. For movement to qualify as exercise that will make changes, it must be Vigorous and use your major muscle groups. So, as vigorous as you may get about picking clean the lint drawer in your dryer, it doesn’t count.

I would be happy to help you find the joy when you are ready